Cliffside Park responds to changes made to teacher evaluation system

CLIFFSIDE PARK - The New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) has reduced the weight of student standardized test scores in evaluating a teacher’s performance.

In June 2013, Gov. Chris Christie signed S-1455, a law which tasked school administrators with performing more frequent and comprehensive teacher evaluations; student performance on standardized tests counted for 30 percent of the teacher’s evaluation under the law.

Now, the heft of those test scores has been reduced to 10 percent in response to outcry from educators that given the new Common Core Standards, students, and thus teachers, need a period to adjust to the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) tests.

Acting Education Commissioner David Hespe said in a written statement July 14, "The Department of Education has slowly and methodically rolled out new standards and assessments. Throughout the process we have continually and consistently listened to the voices of thousands of educators, and we continue to do so now that we have a full year of statewide implementation to learn from."

"By actively engaging all stakeholders, New Jersey is able to move forward with an educator assessment program that will help teachers improve their craft, and ultimately provide the high level of education that every New Jersey child deserves," the statement continued.

For the 2014-15 school year, the DOE is modifying the weight of the PARCC assessments to 10 percent. Reaching or failing to achieve student growth objectives (SGOs), individualized goals set by the teacher for specific students, will count for 20 percent of the teacher’s evaluation. And, 70 percent of the educator’s evaluation will be based on observations by administrators.

"Dropping the percent standardized scores is weighted for teacher evaluations is a positive step. It is a move in the right direction. Evaluating teachers on their students' scores is not good for students, teachers or the educational process at all," she said.

Ferrante added, "The New Jersey Education Association along with the CPEA has supported a new teacher evaluation system: one that is fair and objective to all. The pressure standardized tests place on students devalues the education process and our entire public education system. We will continue to support the NJEA's efforts to ensure the NJ DOE revises its current evaluation system and establishes a more objective system which places less of a burden on students, teachers and administrators."

"It's very difficult to comment on the overall effectiveness or impact of the new teacher evaluation system since we have yet to complete the first year of the entire process," he said.

"But, I do feel that the 10 percent test value is a better starting point, since there are many factors which impact test results in a particular class. And, the fact that our governor recently stated that he will appoint a commission to study the new standards, called the Common Core, and the usefulness and impact of standardized testing, indicates to me that there are still many who question not only the components of the new evaluation system, but more importantly, the validity of state testing and how effectively and accurately it measures student learning," he added.

Cliffside Park responds to changes made to teacher evaluation system

CLIFFSIDE PARK - The New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) has reduced the weight of student standardized test scores in evaluating a teacher’s performance.

In June 2013, Gov. Chris Christie signed S-1455, a law which tasked school administrators with performing more frequent and comprehensive teacher evaluations; student performance on standardized tests counted for 30 percent of the teacher’s evaluation under the law.

Now, the heft of those test scores has been reduced to 10 percent in response to outcry from educators that given the new Common Core Standards, students, and thus teachers, need a period to adjust to the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) tests.

Acting Education Commissioner David Hespe said in a written statement July 14, "The Department of Education has slowly and methodically rolled out new standards and assessments. Throughout the process we have continually and consistently listened to the voices of thousands of educators, and we continue to do so now that we have a full year of statewide implementation to learn from."

"By actively engaging all stakeholders, New Jersey is able to move forward with an educator assessment program that will help teachers improve their craft, and ultimately provide the high level of education that every New Jersey child deserves," the statement continued.

For the 2014-15 school year, the DOE is modifying the weight of the PARCC assessments to 10 percent. Reaching or failing to achieve student growth objectives (SGOs), individualized goals set by the teacher for specific students, will count for 20 percent of the teacher’s evaluation. And, 70 percent of the educator’s evaluation will be based on observations by administrators.

"Dropping the percent standardized scores is weighted for teacher evaluations is a positive step. It is a move in the right direction. Evaluating teachers on their students' scores is not good for students, teachers or the educational process at all," she said.

Ferrante added, "The New Jersey Education Association along with the CPEA has supported a new teacher evaluation system: one that is fair and objective to all. The pressure standardized tests place on students devalues the education process and our entire public education system. We will continue to support the NJEA's efforts to ensure the NJ DOE revises its current evaluation system and establishes a more objective system which places less of a burden on students, teachers and administrators."

"It's very difficult to comment on the overall effectiveness or impact of the new teacher evaluation system since we have yet to complete the first year of the entire process," he said.

"But, I do feel that the 10 percent test value is a better starting point, since there are many factors which impact test results in a particular class. And, the fact that our governor recently stated that he will appoint a commission to study the new standards, called the Common Core, and the usefulness and impact of standardized testing, indicates to me that there are still many who question not only the components of the new evaluation system, but more importantly, the validity of state testing and how effectively and accurately it measures student learning," he added.